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A rise in the popularity of start-stop technology and common-rail injection systems has boosted fuel efficiency levels in diesel vehicles, new research suggests.

According to the New Car CO2 Report, which was published this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), diesel-powered cars registered in 2013 were, on average, 27 per cent more efficient than those released ten years before.

In 2003, the average annual fuel bill for a diesel car was £1,690 - in ten years this has fallen by 21 per cent to £1,330. The figures were based on 12,000 miles being covered in a year, bt.com reports.

One of the innovations to have a major impact is the common-rail system. While it was first introduced by Bosch in 1997, only recently has it become commonplace in new vehicles. The SMMT says that developments in this technology alone have cut emissions by 20 per cent.

The data also shows that the amount of pollution produced by diesel vehicles has fallen by 21 per cent in the same ten-year period.

The news comes in the same week that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) cited falling fuel costs as the main reason for a recent drop in inflation. Between January and February, prices at the pumps dropped by 0.8p per litre, itv.com reports.